What’s the record for most hot dogs eaten at Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest?

With another 4th of July holiday upon us comes the return of another beloved annual tradition: the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest! The competition will once again be held at Nathan’s Famous Corporation’s original restaurant on Coney Island. Coverage will begin at 10:45 a.m. ET with Michelle Lesco defending her crown in the women’s competition. The great Joey “Jaws” Chestnut will once again face the field in the men’s competition which takes place at noon ET.

The contest will air live on ESPN3, ESPNews and will stream live on the ESPN app. The event can also be streamed via FuboTV.

Fans may need to do some digging to answer the question of “who has eaten the most hot dogs in the history of the contest?” Technically, that crown belongs to Walter Paul, who reportedly ate an incredible 127 hot dogs in the inaugural year of the contest back in 1967. However, the validity of that title is up for interpretation. Paul reportedly achieved the feat in the span of 60 minutes, while contestants today compete with a 10-minute time limit. It is also unclear whether buns were included in the reported competition or not. Additionally, the first few years of the contest have yielded varied results which leaves room for speculation.

Under today’s contest rules, arguably everyone knows who holds the record for most hot dogs eaten in the contest — Joey Chestnut. Chestnut, commonly referred to as “Jaws,” returns once again after setting a new record the year prior. In 2021, Chesnut gobbled 76 hot dogs in 10 minutes, which surpassed his previous record of 75. Heading into this year’s competition Chestnut is seeking his 15th Mustard Belt. Chestnut also has his eyes, and stomach, set on achieving a new record with 77 hot dogs gobbled by the end of the competition.

Chestnut is, of course, favored to win the men’s contest with odds at -5000 on DraftKings Sportsbook. Miki Sudo is favored to win the women’s contest at -3000 as she makes her return to the event after missing it in 2021 in her pregnancy. Prior to missing last year’s event, Sudo had won every women’s contest dating back to 2014.